Written Answers Tuesday 15 July 2008

Scottish Executive

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) number and (b) percentage of patients have been registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last two years in (i) Argyll and Bute, (ii) Mid Highland, (iii) North Highland and (iv) South East Highland community health partnerships.

Shona Robison: Information by community health partnership is published at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/servlet/FileBuffer?namedFile=Reg_No3_Allregions_mar_jun_sep_dec07 __.xls&pContentDispositionType=attachment.

  The information requested is only available from March 2007. The tables present information as at March, June, September and December 2007. They do not represent the percentages of people in each community health partnership who are registered. Registrations (numerator) are based on the postcode of the practice where the patient has registered with a general dental practitioner. The population (denominator) is based on where the patient resides, in this case the community health partnership. In some cases, the number of registrations may exceed the actual number of "people" in the chosen population.

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists have provided NHS general dental services in each of the last two years in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Mid Highland, (c) North Highland and (d) South East Highland community health partnerships, also expressed per 10,000 of population.

Shona Robison: The information is shown in the following table.

  Number of Dentists1 who have Provided NHS General Dental Services, and Rates2 per 10,000 of Population; at 30 September

  

 
 2006
 2007


 Community Health Partnership
 Head Count
 Rate
 Head Count
 Rate


 Argyll and Bute
 50
 5.5
 49
 5.4


 Mid Highland
 33
 3.7
 32
 3.6


 North Highland
 19
 5.0
 17
 4.5


 South East Highland
 64
 7.3
 77
 8.8



  Sources: MIDAS (Management Information and Dental Accounting System) and GRO(S).

  Notes:

  1. The number (head count) of NHS non-salaried and salaried principals, assistants and vocational dental practitioners, based on the location of the dental practice.

  2. Crude rates (all ages) for years 2006 and 2007 have been calculated per 10,000 persons, using 2006 mid-year population estimates from General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S).

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental practices stopped providing NHS general dental services in each of the last two years in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Mid Highland, (c) North Highland and (d) South East Highland community health partnerships.

Shona Robison: The information requested is provided in the following table.

  Number of Practices that Stopped Providing NHS General Dental Services in the Years Ending 31 March

  

 Community Health Partnerships
 2007
 2008


 Argyll and Bute
 
 11


 Mid Highland
 
 -


 North Highland
 
 -


 South East Highland
 
 2



  Source: NHS Highland.

  Note: 1. This practice re-opened within a year.

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental practices began offering NHS general dental services in each of the last two years in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Mid Highland, (c) North Highland and (d) South East Highland community health partnerships.

Shona Robison: The information requested is provided in the following table:

  Number of Practices that Started Providing NHS General Dental Services in the Years Ending 31 March

  

 Community Health Partnerships
 2007
 2008


 Argyll and Bute
 -
 11


 Mid Highland
 -
 -


 North Highland
 1
 -


 South East Highland
 -
 -



  Source: NHS Highland.

  Note: 1. This practice closed and re-opened within the year.

Dentistry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS dental patients had their registration status withdrawn in each of the last two years in (a) Argyll and Bute, (b) Mid Highland, (c) North Highland and (d) South East Highland community health partnerships.

Shona Robison: : The information requested is only available from March 2007. The table presents information for the quarters ending March, June, September and December 2007.

  

 Community Health Partnership
 Quarter Ending


 March 2007
 June 2007
 September 2007
 December 2007


 Argyll and Bute 
 105
 67
 2
 1


 Mid Highland 
 221
 120
 73
 39


 North Highland 
 2
 34
 27
 1


 South East Highland 
 30
 91
 25
 143



  Notes:

  1. Based on patients whose registration status indicated "withdrawn" between the dates considered. This occurs when there is a request for the registration record to be withdrawn (made usually by the dentist, and subsequently approved by the NHS board). The numbers also include withdrawals carried out where more than one active registration exists for the same patient as part of data cleansing. Some patients whose registration has been withdrawn may register with another dentist under NHS arrangements elsewhere. There may also be retrospective additions to these data.

  2. If a patient has been withdrawn from more than one dental practice, they will be counted each time this happens. It is also possible for a patient to be counted in more than one NHS board if they have moved to a dentist in a different NHS board area and have been withdrawn from practices in each NHS board where they have received NHS general dental services.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14124 by Shona Robison on 23 June 2008, where the out-of-hours emergency services for un-registered dental patients are, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The arrangements which are put in place for out of hours emergency services are a matter for each NHS board, and information on where these services are available is not held centrally.

Diabetes

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reduce the increase in cases of diabetes.

Shona Robison: We are determined to tackle the continuing rise in the number of people in Scotland with diabetes.

  The two main modifiable risk factors in relation to type 2 diabetes are smoking and unhealthy bodyweight. We want to build on the success of the ban on smoking in public places, and in May 2008 published Scotland’s future is smoke-free, a smoking prevention action plan. Backed by £9 million over three years, the plan includes action to restrict the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products at the point of sale, and update statutory controls on the sale of tobacco products.

  Population level interventions to reverse obesity trends are a key factor in reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes. In June 2008 we published Healthy Eating, Active Living: an action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011). This outlines our plans to spend over £56 million on diet, physical activity and the promotion of healthy weight, and gives a particular focus to action to support children in their earliest years.

  SIGN Guideline 97 on risk estimation and the prevention of cardiovascular disease recommends the use of the ASSIGN risk calculator so that those at greater than a 20% risk of cardiovascular disease over 10 years can be offered lifestyle interventions or considered for treatment. ASSIGN has been designed to suit Scottish circumstances by the inclusion of family history and social deprivation. Its use is being piloted in association with the first wave of the "Keep Well" programme, which provides anticipatory interventions for those aged between 45 and 64 within deprived communities at high risk of CHD and diabetes.

General Practitioners

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which GPs practices on the mainland still provide out-of-hours service cover.

Shona Robison: The following mainland practices still provide out-of-hours cover:

  NHS Grampian

  Braemar Health Clinic, St Andrews Terrace, Braemar

  NHS Highland

  Pines Medical Practice, Acharacle

  The Surgery, Applecross

  Armadale Medical Practice, Armadale

  The Medical Centre, Campbeltown

  The Surgery, Durness

  Gairloch Health Centre, Auchtercairn, Gairloch

  The Surgery, Furnace, Inveraray

  Scourie and Kinlochbervie Medical Practice, Health Centre, Kinlochbervie

  The Ferguson Medical Centre, Lochcarron

  Lochgilphead Medical Practice, Lochgilphead

  Assynt Medical Practice, Main Street, Lochinver

  Port Appin Surgery, Port Appin

  The Surgery, Muasdale, Tarbert

  Burnside Surgery, Tighnabruaich

  The Health Centre, St Andrew’s Glebe, Tongue

  Torridon Medical Practice, Fassaig, Torridon

  Ullapool Health Centre, North Road, Ullapool.

General Practitioners

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13021 by Shona Robison on 2 June 2008, why the answer states that no conditions were placed on the new practice as far as out-of-hours services were concerned, when paragraph 9 of the NHS Tayside medical practice vacancy specification document for the Kinloch Rannoch Medical Practice states "OOH (out-of-hours) care will be a core component of the specification".

Shona Robison: NHS boards are under a statutory duty to ensure the provision of primary medical services throughout their areas. It is open to NHS boards to offer contracts for the performance of such services. The vacancy specification document stated that NHS Tayside would work with the successful applicants with a view to seeking innovative solutions to the provision of the out-of-hours component. No bids, however, were received that included out-of-hours cover. Consequently, NHS Tayside awarded a contract on the basis of the proposals for core hours and has itself continued to provide out-of-hours services.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have undergone treatment at the Scottish Centre for Photodynamic Therapy in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Shona Robison: Information on patients undergoing treatment at the Scottish Centre for Photodynamic Therapy is not held centrally.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its most recent estimate is of the number of people suffering from age-related macular degeneration and what its estimate is of the percentage of people over the age of 65 who have the condition.

Shona Robison: Information on the number of people suffering from age-related macular degeneration, and the percentage of people over the age of 65 who have the condition, is not collected centrally.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration in each of the last two years, also broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Information on how many people have been diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration in each of the last two years, broken down by NHS board is not held centrally.

Health

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been treated with photodynamic therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration in each of the last two years, also broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: Information on the number of people treated with photodynamic therapy in each of the last two years, broken down by NHS board, is not held centrally.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on the BBC’s Politics Show on 15 June 2008 that she was told on Tuesday 10 June 2008 about the clostridium difficile issue at the Vale of Leven Hospital, and, in light of evidence to the contrary, whether she will withdraw her statement.

Nicola Sturgeon: No. I clearly set out the timeline of events in my statement to the Parliament on 18 June 2008. I made clear in the BBC interview that I was first aware of the cases of clostridium difficile (C. diff) at the Vale of Leven in late May. I advised that on 6 June 2008, a local Dumbarton newspaper informed me that it intended to report a possible five deaths from C. diff at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

  On 10 June 2008, the Scottish Government was advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that, in addition to a range of other actions being taken, a full look-back review had been conducted. That review has now identified a total of 55 cases of C. diff infection from December 2007, including nine deaths where C. diff was the main cause of death and another nine cases where it was a secondary cause.

  The infection control team met on 10 June 2008 and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde updated issued a press release on 11 June 2008. I received an interim report on the situation from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 13 June 2008 and a further report on 17 June 2008.

Justice

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of selling knives to underage customers.

Kenny MacAskill: The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 has given ministers the power to introduce a licensing scheme for knife dealers. As part of the licensing scheme, dealers will be required to keep records of how proof of age was established.

  Discussions have taken place with the police about backing up the licensing scheme with a tougher enforcement regime which may include test purchasing where appropriate.

Justice

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers historical re-enactment to constitute a form of theatre in terms of the 2007 Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007.

Kenny MacAskill: Section 61 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 enables the Scottish ministers to prohibit the manufacture, sale, hire, etc. of swords, and to provide defences for religious, cultural and sporting purposes. No such prohibitions or defences are yet in place. The policy memorandum for the bill made it clear that use relating to historical re-enactment will be recognised as one of the defences. It is not relevant to these provisions whether historical re-enactment is a form of theatre.

  However, section 60 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 does refer to theatre, and will provide a new defence in section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 relating to the manufacture, sale, hire, etc. of offensive weapons for the purposes of theatrical performances. Those defences will apply to all offences weapons covered by section 141.

  The Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 does not change the law on the carrying of swords or other weapons in public. It is an offence under section 49 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 to have any article which has a blade or is sharply pointed in a public place without good reason or lawful authority. Any individual instance will be a matter for the police, and ultimately the courts, but having a sword for the purpose of historical re-enactment would generally appear to be a good reason. Under section 47 of the same act it is an offence to carry an offensive weapon, which might for example be an axe or pike. Section 47 also includes a defence of "reasonable excuse" which has generally been seen to include historical re-enactment.

Justice

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what orders are in force under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, inserted by section 46 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007, in particular section 141ZA(3)(a) which allows Scottish Ministers to provide for defences against prosecution on religious, cultural, sporting or other grounds.

Kenny MacAskill: Section 61 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 inserts new section 141ZA into the Criminal Justice Act 1988. It is not yet in force and no orders have been made.

Justice

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Ministers have the powers to provide for defences against prosecution on religious, cultural, sporting or other grounds for possession, sale or other conduct in relation to weapons which are not swords but are nonetheless covered by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (as amended).

Kenny MacAskill: Section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 deals with the manufacture, sale, hire, lending and giving of specified offensive weapons. It covers possession only where possession is for the purposes of sale or hire. Section 141 already provides limited defences relating to museums and galleries, and lending by such institutions for cultural, artistic or educational purposes.

  Section 60 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 contains amendments to section 141 including new subsections (11A) to (11E) which will provide defences relating to theatre, film and television. It also provides a power in new subsection (11G) for the Scottish ministers to vary the application of section 141 in relation to any description of weapon. That power could be used, if desired, to provide further defences on cultural, sporting or other grounds.

  The weapons to which section 141 of the 1998 act applies are set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Scotland) Order 2005 and include knuckledusters, swordsticks and butterfly knives. That Order excludes antique weapons.

  Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Consolidation)(Scotland) Act 1995 places prohibitions on the carrying of offensive weapons but allows the defence of having lawful authority or good reason.

Justice

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions for underage tobacco sales there have been in each of the last five years and, of these, how many convictions resulted, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against for Selling Tobacco to Persons Under 161, by Police Force Area 2002-03 to 2006-07

  

 Police Force
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1


 Charge proved
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Grampian 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Charge proved
 -
 1
 -
 -
 -


 Lothian and Borders 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 2
 -
 2
 1


 Charge proved
 -
 2
 -
 2
 1


 Northern 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 -
 -
 -
 4


 Charge proved
 -
 -
 -
 -
 3


 Strathclyde 
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1


 Charge proved
 -
 -
 -
 -
 1


 Scotland
 
 
 
 
 


 Proceeded against
 -
 3
 -
 2
 7


 Charge proved
 -
 3
 -
 2
 5



  Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes offences under the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 section 18.

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many breaches of bail there were in the last 12 months, broken down by sheriffdom.

Kenny MacAskill: The available data is given in the following table. This gives the numbers of crimes recorded by the police in 2006-07 where someone has not appeared for trial following bail, and the number of bail offences other than absconding or re-offending. Since the source of this data is police recorded crime, it is not available by sheriffdom.

  

 2006-07
Not Appearing for Trial Following Bail
Bail Offences Other than Absconding or Re-Offending


 Aberdeen City
 0
 232


 Aberdeenshire
 0
 181


 Angus
 0
 302


 Argyll and Bute
 0
 90


 City of Edinburgh
 0
 974


 City of Glasgow
 11
 2,297


 Clackmannanshire
 0
 320


 Dumfries and Galloway
 0
 129


 Dundee City
 0
 1,085


 East Ayrshire
 0
 158


 East Dunbartonshire
 0
 95


 East Lothian
 0
 46


 East Renfrewshire
 2
 81


 Eilean Siar (W.Isles)
 0
 47


 Falkirk
 0
 417


 Fife
 0
 785


 Highland
 0
 341


 Inverclyde
 0
 92


 Midlothian
 0
 102


 Moray
 0
 182


 North Ayrshire
 1
 189


 North Lanarkshire
 5
 935


 Orkney Islands
 0
 8


 Perth and Kinross
 0
 298


 Renfrewshire
 0
 192


 Scottish Borders
 0
 109


 Shetland Islands
 0
 14


 South Ayrshire
 0
 116


 South Lanarkshire
 3
 523


 Stirling
 0
 238


 West Dunbartonshire
 1
 135


 West Lothian
 0
 251


 All Scotland
 23
 10,964

Justice

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disposals of cases involving bail breaches there were in each of the last four years, broken down by sheriffdom.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table:

  Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Offences Related to Breaches of Bail1, 2003-04 to 2006-07

  

 Sheriffdom
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 High Court
 7
 10
 9
 4


 Glasgow and Strathkelvin 
 402
 521
 623
 976


 Grampian, Highland and Islands
 361
 377
 377
 602


 Lothian and Borders 
 268
 355
 478
 616


 North Strathclyde 
 280
 383
 413
 426


 South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway 
 516
 660
 685
 731


 Tayside, Central and Fife 
 1,218
 1,159
 1,031
 1,360


 Scotland
 3,052
 3,465
 3,616
 4,715



  Note: 1. Where main offence. Includes failing to appear for trial having been given court bail and bail offences other than absconding or re-offending.

Justice

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost police forces to kennel any dogs which have been seized under Section 1 of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act in each of the last 10 years.

Kenny MacAskill: This information is not held centrally and is a matter for individual police forces.

Maternity Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is proposed to assist obese pregnant women as early as possible during their pregnancy to reduce the risk of complications for mother and child.

Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for organising maternity care at a local level in line with national guidelines. The Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland supports the principle that good health before and during early pregnancy benefits both mother and baby. Care is tailored to the needs of the individual woman, including careful monitoring of the mother and her baby’s development. Women are encouraged to eat as healthily as possible and the government is making available funding of £19 million between 2008-11 to improve nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged communities. By the end of 2008 the government will publish guidance for NHS boards on locally delivered healthy weight strategies. This will highlight the needs of key groups such as pregnant women.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current waiting times are for (a) cognitive behavioural therapy, (b) psychiatry and (c) psychology, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not available centrally.

  I recognise the importance of mental health services as a national priority. We have established four national performance targets for mental health services which between them will deliver significant change across Scotland between now and 2011. As you will be aware, I have also asked my officials to look at the extent to which mental health services could, for the first time be brought into the 18 week waiting times target. This work is due to be completed by the end of the summer.

NHS Boards

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards to ensure equity and efficiency of primary care and community provision for primary care practices with patients resident in more than one board area and particularly, but not exclusively, with respect to (a) nursing care, (b) equipment and (c) transport to day hospital, where the nearest or most appropriate provision is not in the area covered by the board where the patient is resident.

Shona Robison: No specific guidance has been issued to NHS boards. In general, NHS boards will operate local arrangements to deal with cross-boundary cases on a pragmatic basis to ensure referrals for nursing and other care are appropriately managed.

NHS Hospitals

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Vale of Leven Hospital was last deep cleaned.

Nicola Sturgeon: I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the Vale of Leven Hospital is cleaned in accordance with The National Cleaning Specification and monitored in accordance with the National Monitoring Tool. Returns for the standard of cleanliness are submitted to Health Facilities Scotland on a monthly basis in accordance with national reporting arrangements for cleaning services.

  Terminal and Isolation cleans are completed in line with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Infection Control Policy Standard Operating Procedures when they are required. Terminal cleans involve domestic services and nursing staff thoroughly cleaning all surfaces and equipment within the clinical environment. This includes the removal of curtains and bed screens for laundering, beds, lockers and drip stands etc. In the majority of cases a hypochlorite based cleaning solution is used but this may vary according to any advice provided by the Infection Control Team on specific precautions to be taken.

  In addition, when a patient is being treated in isolation for an infection, specific "Isolation Cleans" are carried out twice a day in the area in which the patient is being nursed. Isolation Cleans are thorough cleans of all the patient and nurse contact areas which minimise the risk of contamination.

  Wards at the Vale of Leven hospital undergo terminal cleans for a variety of reasons and I have been advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that 13 terminal cleans have taken place in various wards at the hospital since December 2007. I am also advised that a rolling programme of terminal cleans of all wards at the Vale of Leven began on 13th June and that this was completed on 28 June 2008.

Parking Charges

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from where private entities that operate car parks derive their authority to operate systems of fines against individuals that they deem to have improperly used their facilities.

Kenny MacAskill: The terms and conditions under which privately owned and run car parks operate are a matter for the owner and operator of the car park.

  Privately operated car parks are not subject to the provisions of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 but they do come within the scope of the Trade Descriptions Act 1988 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987, which protect motorists from false trade descriptions about the provision of car parking and also from misleading indications of the costs of car parking.

  In disputed cases, legal advice should be sought: the basis for imposing or purporting to impose any sort of charge will differ according to the specific situation under consideration.

Parkinson’s Disease

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it accepts that the actual number of people in Scotland who have Parkinson’s disease could be more than double the estimate captured through the Practice Team Information scheme, in light of the findings of the Parkinson’s Disease Society that peer-reviewed prevalence data suggests that more than 10,200 people in Scotland live with Parkinson’s disease, of whom most will have idiopathic Parkinson’s.

Shona Robison: The answer to question S3W-10033 on 29 February 2008 made clear that the estimate of prevalence given (4,800) was based on the Practice Team Information arrangements. The study cited by the Parkinson’s Disease Society (von Campenhausen et al, 2005) found an average prevalence of 130 per 100,000, which would equate to some 6,650 people in Scotland. The estimate of 10,200 people cited by the Society appears to be based on the single study which provided the highest prevalence estimate in the von Campenhausen review.

  Overall, existing research suggests that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Scotland, although very likely to be higher than the number estimated to consult a general practice in a single year, is unlikely to be more than double that number. Further work would be required to determine more precisely the number of those in Scotland with the disease.

  Whatever the exact prevalence, the Scottish Government takes very seriously the needs of people with Parkinson’s disease, and welcomes the fact that NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is developing clinical standards relating to the condition.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Parkinson’s Disease

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-10033 by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008, whether it will revise its estimate of the number of people with Parkinson’s, in light of the findings of the Parkinson’s Disease Society that peer-reviewed prevalence data suggests that more than 10,200 people in Scotland live with Parkinson’s disease, of whom most will have idiopathic Parkinson’s.

Shona Robison: The number of people in Scotland with Parkinson’s disease is, on the basis of current evidence, uncertain. Applying to the Scottish population the results of seven previous UK studies suggests that between 5,550 and 10,250 people in Scotland may currently have the disease. Individual estimates are themselves subject to uncertainty, however. For example, the study on which the Parkinson’s Disease Society’s estimate of 10,200 is based noted a potential prevalence rate of anything from one in 333 to one in 1,000, equating to between 5,100 and 15,350 people in Scotland.

People with Disabilities

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is charged per hour for home care for disabled people, broken down by local authority.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.

Police

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pages of instruction, guidance, regulation and any other sort of direction it has issued to chief constables in each of the last five years.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many documents containing instructions, guidance, regulation and any other sort of direction it has issued to chief constables in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government issues guidance to all police forces and police boards in the form of police circulars. These cover a range of topics including the impact of new legislation and changes to police pay and allowances. During each of the last five years the number of circulars issued has been as follows:

  

 2007
 8


 2006
 5


 2005
 13


 2004
 23


 2003
 12



  Full details on the content of these circulars can be found on the government’s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Police/Circulars/2007.

  In addition to the distribution of police circulars, ministers and officials are in regular contact with chief constables on a wide range of matters.

Police

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide any additional funding to police boards to cover the extra police pensions costs for 2009-10.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide an additional £29 million to Strathclyde Joint Police Board to cover their additional pension costs for 2009-10.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to provide any additional funding to police boards for this. Under the terms of the concordat, it is for police authorities to negotiate jointly the amount of funding that will be provided by local authorities to meet policing costs.

Police

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide Strathclyde Police Joint Board with additional funding to cover the cost of policing Faslane 365 protests at HMNB Clyde.

Kenny MacAskill: There are no plans to provide additional funding to Strathclyde to cover these costs as there have been numerous protests at Faslane over the years and the need to police Faslane will have been built into the force’s budgets.

Police

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will indicate the cost of policing Faslane 365 protests at HMNB Clyde.

Kenny MacAskill: The organisation of police operations, including the allocation of resources to this operation, is a matter for the Chief Constable of Strathclyde.

Respite Care

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in meeting the SNP manifesto commitment of providing 10,000 additional respite weeks each year.

Shona Robison: Our concordat with COSLA includes a commitment to deliver progress towards an extra 10,000 respite weeks per year. We have been working closely with COSLA to agree delivery of this commitment. We have now agreed that, taking Audit Scotland’s 2007-08 respite performance indicator figures as a baseline, local authorities will provide an extra 2,000 weeks over the baseline in 2008-09, an extra 6,000 weeks in 2009-10 and an extra 10,000 weeks in 2010-11.

Young Offenders

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the number of people under the age of 21 years in prison for non-violent offences.

Kenny MacAskill: We launched the report of the review of community penalties last November, which makes recommendations for the improvement of the quality, effectiveness and perception of community penalties and to allow prisons to focus on those who need to be there. Work is being undertaken on a number of fronts to implement the report’s recommendations and to allow courts to have greater confidence in the standard of delivery of these disposals in anticipation that this will lead to their greater use.

  The Scottish Prisons Commission’s report published on 1 July 2008 also contains some challenging ides about the use of custody particularly in respect of the treatment of the under 18s. We are considering all of the report’s recommendations and will announce our decisions later.

  We have already taken a range of measures to improve alternatives to custody. For example, we have rolled out across all courts in Scotland the mandatory use of Supervised Attendance orders in dealing with those defaulting on fines not exceeding £500. It is anticipated that this measure alone will remove approximately 3,000 receptions to custody per year including substantial numbers of under 21s. We have provided an additional £500,000 per annum for extension of supervised bail schemes to ensure that all courts have access to this option in dealing with accused who might otherwise have been remanded to custody.

  More than £1 million per year has also been provided for the Turnaround project in the north Strathclyde and south west Scotland community justice authority areas, for offenders aged 16 to 30 along the lines of the successful 218 centre project in Glasgow for women offenders. We expect the piloting of drug treatment and testing orders with lower tariff offenders, which commenced in the majority of courts in the Lothians and Borders sheriffdom in June, to provide an additional sentencing option for courts in dealing with young offenders with serious addictions issues.

  We are using the funds recovered from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to support an expanded range of activities for children and young people in sports, culture and arts. These initiatives are designed to increase the likelihood of positive long-term outcomes including impact on offending behaviour.